Defendant pleads to attempted obstruction

A woman has pleaded no contest to an attempted obstruction charge after she reportedly allowed an escaped inmate stay at her Leavenworth apartment.

Comment

By John Richmeier

The Leavenworth Times - Leavenworth, KS

By John Richmeier

Posted Jan. 26, 2013 at 8:15 AM

By John Richmeier

Posted Jan. 26, 2013 at 8:15 AM

A woman has pleaded no contest to an attempted obstruction charge after she reportedly allowed an escaped inmate stay at her Leavenworth apartment.

Amber D. Hall, 23, entered the plea Friday in Leavenworth County District Court.

She had been charged with obstructing apprehension or prosecution in connection to Raheem K. Armstead, who escaped from custody at the Leavenworth County Jail Dec. 29. He was apprehended Dec. 31.

The charge against Hall was amended to attempted obstruction Friday as part of a plea agreement.

“We finalized the discussions just a few minutes ago,” Assistant County Attorney Sherri Becker said.

Hall had been scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Friday. But she waived the hearing and entered the plea.

Becker reviewed facts of the case Friday, saying authorities had found Armstead hiding in a closet in an apartment in the 700 block of North 13th Street.

Becker said the apartment was the residence of Hall and a co-defendant, Joshua A. Showalter.

The prosecutor said Hall was interviewed by authorities and admitted knowing that Armstead had escaped from jail and allowing him to stay at the residence.

Hall likely will be sentenced to probation. As a condition of the plea agreement, the prosecution will not request that Hall spend any “shock time” in jail, according to her attorney, Roger Horsky.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 6.

Showalter, 26, also appeared in court Friday. He faces a charge of obstructing apprehension or prosecution.

He also was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Friday, but he waived that hearing.

Showalter’s attorney, Benjamin Casad, said he believed there will be a plea agreement in the case but he asked for additional time to finalize matters. Arraignment for Showalter was scheduled for Feb. 8.

Showalter also is facing possible revocation of probation in two earlier cases.

Another man, James R. Hill, also is charged in connection to Armstead’s escape. Hill faces a charge of aiding an escape.

Hill, 29, appeared in court Friday with an attorney. A status hearing in his case was scheduled for Feb. 6.

Last week, Armstead, 29, pleaded guilty to aggravated escape from custody. Sentencing in his case is scheduled for Feb. 22.